Patient was educated on precautions to be exercised while using Beta blockers for management of arrhythmia as follows:
- Beta blockers are contraindicated in individuals with abnormally slow heart rates, such as, in individuals with damaged natural pacemaker of the heart.
- Beta blockers are contraindicated in individuals with history of asthma, COPD, and with any other issues resulting in episodes of difficulty breathing. Selective B-1 blockers that act only on the heart and have no action on the respiratory smooth muscle can be an alternative, in individuals with respiratory complaints.
- Observe compliance with any regular lab work ordered. As these drugs are metabolized significantly in the liver and eliminated by the kidneys, hepatic and renal function could be periodically monitored.
- Observe compliance with any lab work ordered for potassium and magnesium levels, as these ions must be maintained in a close range for optimal functioning of the heart.
- Careful follow-up regarding potassium levels in the blood is mandatory, as both hypo and hyperkalemia can cause serious life threatening arrhythmias.
- Take a blood pressure reading always before you take the pill. Maintain a log of every day blood pressure reading. If the blood pressure is too low, you can defer taking the medication for that dose. Notify your doctor, if more of such occurrences are happening, so that, your medication dose could be revised.
- If a dose is missed, it should be taken at the earliest notice of noncompliance. If it is time for the next dose, the missed dose can be skipped. Compensating for the missed dose by taking an extra dose can pose serious risk for an episode of extremely low blood pressure and heart rate, and acute episode of bronchoconstriction with shortness of breath, thus precipitating an emergency.
